Eating after work....

I can be good/disciplined all day long at the office with my diet but once I get home it is so hard to refrain from overeating! I don't watch a lot of TV, do walk the dog, hit the gym,etc- I just have this mentality of "I deserve this, I have been good all day!"Ugh. Any tips from people who have successfully dealt with this in the past?

I have found that if I enter my entire day of food in the morning I am more likely to stick to it. I plan a smaller but satisfying dinner and since I already ate and accounted for the rest of my calories earlier in the day I simply don't let myself add anything else into the mix. Frontloading your day with protein by having it with breakfast and lunch, or even a protein shake before you leave the workplace will keep you feeling much more satisfied later in the afternoon.

I used to tell myself that I deserved ice cream because I was so good the rest of the day... It totally defeats the purpose of being good the rest of the day! I suggest finding different ways to reward yourself so that you can get rid of that mentality altogether

I too have this problem, especially if I'm too tired to cook a proper meal. When I find a solution I will let you know! I think commitment is the key - think about my thoughts and remind myself to stick to the plan. So easier said than done though.

I had and occasionally still have the same problem. So, I decided that I would indulge in whatever strikes my fancy if I am able to fit it into my daily calorie limit. That way, I know that it is not forbidden and since I can have it anytime, the cravings become limited.

I am still struggling with days when I don't want to cook dinner though. If anyone has any ideas, please do share.

Thanks for your kind responses. You all seem to recognize the problem! These are some good ideas, but more than anything, it's knowing that you have the same trials and are succeeding. Thanks for the encouragement

Yes, I have the exact same problem. I've been good all day so I let my guard down at night. I think it's something about feeling more relaxed at night, combined with working all day, maybe we just don't feel like coutning calories because we're too tired.

I have the same issue. I can do great all day, then my evening is ridiculous. I will do like karabeth and add everything in for the day, then my evening meal but then see what's left. If I know that the snack I want will put me over I try to stay away from it, or don't eat seconds at dinner, or I'll eat 1/2 a serving instead of a whole. I just make sure I don't go over my calories for the day. It doesn't always work, sometimes temptation wins out, but I've found this an easier way to show myself how much those wants can screw up my day.

I would plan your dinner at the start of the day, like pp mentioned.. make dinner as soon as you get home. I would also save some calories for a good snack later. Maybe 1.5 or 2 hours after dinner.. Then you can tell yourself that you can have your dinner, and when you have the urge to start grazing hold out for your planned snack.. then after you ahve your snack if you still want to graze.. drink something hot.. like tea and if all of that fails.. go to bed.

I think this is a problem that alot of us here have. How to overcome it is a good question. I also tell myself that I have been good all day so I deserve a treat. Self sabotoge! I keep sugar free candies in the house that I can use for a treat. These seem to really help and they last. I also will have a few green olives that really help with cravings. Hope that helps, glad that we are all in this together for the support!

If you have the right mindset then nothing can stop you from reaching your goals! Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!

Yes - I came across something on the internet last week. Someone simply wrote "you aren't a dog, so stop rewarding yourself with food". It really resonated with me - why do I promise myself a cookie or food treat for my achievements. I've made a promise to myself to stop associating food with reward and for the foreseeable refuse to reward myself with food.

Thanks for the posts, I have the same problem I make myself a large glass of ice water with lemon in it and I drink half all at once and then sip as I'm cooking diner it sounds dumb but it works I feel full enough until dinner....

I have been struggling with this problem for years as well, but it has been getting better lately. I think this is because i have shifted my entire eating schedule forward by several hours. I eat my first meal of the day at about noon, second at 5:30 or 6, and then when I start to get hungry at 9 or 10 pm, I still have a full meal's worth of food to eat. I know that the conventional wisdom is not to eat late in the evening, but I figure I would be eating anyway, just junk food instead of a healthy meal!

For some people, skipping breakfast can encourage unconscious overeating later, until you get used to the new schedule. That is why I plan all of my food early in the day, and sometimes even make it in the morning before work. I find it is way easier to eat healthy meals when they are already in the fridge ready to go, or waiting in the slow cooker.

This might not work for everyone, and I know a lot of diet experts would not like this solution, but it is the first thing that has ever worked for me, and after a few hungry mornings, I am now totally used to it and don't start to feel hungry until lunch time.

That is my problem too, especially in the summer when the heat is on during the day oh man forget food, just water. Then nighttime comes and its like "bring on the food!" and I'm famished. Its terrible, but I've been getting under some control but I still have about 2 days a week where I go over and thats what I'm having such a hard time with, otherwise I know I would have lost more by now.

I'm starting to wonder if swapping my meals round would speed up my loss. Currently I have lunch at about 12-2pm (my first meal of the day as I can't eat for hours after I get up) and that's about 200-350cal, I then have my main meal at between 8-10pm when I get home. Which is 500-800 cal. So I am sleeping while my main calorie intake is digesting.

I'm thinking that if I eat more in the afternoon (calorie wise) I'll burn through more of those calories.

I think some of the reason we eat when we get home is that we are out of the sight of others eyes. I know I'd eat the bad stuff when I got home and wouldn't be judged. And, I think it's also the whole 'reward' scenario that was mentioned; you got through a tough day at work and here is your food treat. Women will always associate food with treats. I'm guilty of all this stuff. But I like not eating after 7 p.m., too!

We all say we'd do anything to lose weight, but what we mean is we'd do anything but eat better and exercise to lose weight. We are all looking for fix to a long term problem

Oh my! All of these comments resonate with me one way or another...and yes, it's good to know we're not alone, yoginigirl. That's what we're here for, to lean on one another and urge each other on! Yay for that! My BIGGEST struggle of all is not being able to stop once I start. The ONE THING that doesn't usually do that to me is dark chocolate, even though I love it. Not sure why, but I can eat a small serving of that and be satisfied. Maybe you could find something like that? Also a good suggestion^to save some of your RDI for it. Hang in there, you can do this!

I have the same weakness... evening binges!I've tried a few things that have worked.1. Move my "every night" reward to an "every Saturday" reward. I allow myself to eat anything I want on Saturday. It doesn't seem to affect my weight too much when it's over the course of one day for some reason. I eat pizza and ice cream and whatever else I want. May not work for everyone of course.

2. Eat in the car (carefully!) on the way home from work. Bananas, Gogurt, apples, nuts, raisins, etc. I keep yogurt in the fridge at work and will sometimes eat one at my desk right before I go home, too. By the time I get home, I've eaten almost a whole meal in some cases.

3. Make healthy stuff seem indulgent - dip banana or apple slices in peanut butter and put a couple dark chocolate chips on each one. You could even top with a tiny bit of fat-free whipped cream. Yum.

I always reward myself if that's what you want to call it, with a fat free fudge cycle..they're low calorie but taste so good...I have also enjoyed frozen grapes, they are delicious that way...you can also try painting your fingernails at night, it's impossible to eat with wet nails..

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